Medical capsule



April 2, 1929.

J. G. HOMAN MEDICAL CAPSULE Filed Feb. 5, 1926 Patented Apr. 2, 1929.

UNITED STATES JOHN G. HUMAN, OF STEUBENVILLE, OHIO.

MEDICAL Application filed February The present invention relates tomedical devices, and is for a capsule for use in the treatn'ient oforifices or the body.

Various forms of dilators have been pro- '5 posed. for eiliectingmechanical dilation of body orifices, more especially rectal dilation,and for various treatments in connection with such dilation. Many ofthese devices are provided with some heating means or medium, and it haseven been proposed that some of the devices apply medicating substancesduring the treatment.

Such devices, by their very nature, require that a period of time bedevoted to their use, and. their use is therefore accompanied withconsiderable inconvenience.

Various forms and kinds of suppositories have also been proposed for thetreatment of orifices of the body. Such devices have nearly always beenof a kind that absorbed heat from the part of the body being treated toreduce them from a solid form and render them etl'ective.

It is quite generally recognized that heat is a desirable therapeuticaid. Because heat stimulates vasomotor reaction and enhances localcirculation where applied, it is quite generally believed thatmedication applied under the influence of heat is of increased 30effectiveness. The suppositories of the type above referred to areincapable of the liben ation of any heat, and consequently do notbeneficially stimulate local circulation or apply the medicament underthe conditions generally recognized. as being most favorable to theiruse. A great advantage 01E such. suppositories, however, resides in thetact that their use is accompanied by no inconvenience.

According to the present invention, it is proposed to provide a capsulecapable of applying heat to the body either with or without medication.

It is a further important object of the invention to provide a capsuleof this kind where the application of a beneficial amount of heat may beaccompanied by the application of medicament contained in the capsule.

A further important object of the invention is to produce heat withinthe capsule through the harmless reaction or" chemicals, and to providea capsule where the heat producing chemicals may preferably come intoactual contact with the tissues to be treated, and thereby afford themost efi'ective heat stimulation While utilizing the GATPSULi-E.

5, 19538. F'etcia]. No. 88,183.

stimulating properties inherent in the chemicals en'iployed.

These and other objects and advantages are secured by my invention,which may be readily understood by reference to the accon'ipanyingdrawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, but itwill be understood the drawing is to be considered merely illustrativeof one enibodiinent thereof and that various changes and modifications n.iy be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a vertical section through a capsuleembodying the invention; and d Figure 2 is a view similar to liigure 1showing the capsule separated to permit insertion of water or othersubstance to start reaction.

In the drawings, 2 designates the lower portion of a suitablecapsule-like body of any desired shape. I prefer that this body he oithe soluble gelatine kind, but it may be of a permanent nature, it desiOne advantage of the gelatine capsule is the fact that it is cheap, andthe patient is not bothcred with any sterilizing, cleaning and refillingthereof. The capsule has a cover section 3 of any desired shape andcapable of fitting onto the open end of section 2. In the side walls ofthe section 2 are a plurality of small holes 4;. The cap 3 also has atleast one outlet hole 5 in the top thereof.

lVithin the body 2 is a lining or shell 6 of a suitable medicamentvehicle, preterably cocoa butter, which may contain any desiredniedicating substance. in the chan1- ber within the shell (5 is a mass 7of normally inert chemicals adapted to react to 95 liberate heat uponthe addition of water or alcohol or other sul'istance thereto. Thesechemicals are those which are ha inlcss to body tissues, or which, uponreaction, produce substances which are entirely harmless. .As a matterof fact, they may he entirely beneficial. They are selected to produceonly a mild degree of heat and to react without violence. Any selectionof chen'iicals obvious to those skilled in the art inay be employed. Iprefer to use a mixture of powdered metallic magnesium and copper oxide.A reaction would be started by the addition of water thereto. Ifdesired, sodium bicarbonate and tartaric acid could be 110 used. Thiswould liberate a considerable volume of gas.

The lilmraitiim of ,gas may be desirable as a means of getting almrmless and gentle dilation of the colon in the tr ailment ofconstipation.

It is proposed that just prior to the insertion of the a psulc, the rapbe lifted, as indicated in Figure 2, and water. alcohol or othersubsiani'ie added, after which the cap is replaced and the insertion ofthe capsule made. The h mt resulting from the reaction of the chcmic: lswill be tarricd to the body tissues for its remedial ellcct. t will beobvious that the capsule may be beneficial for its heating propertiesalone.

llowcver, in order tijrincrmise its utilitr, the hell (3 is provided.'lhis shell, which, as above stat d, preferably carries a medicatingsubstance. is melted by the heat of reaction and is forced through theholes in the c: psule to the snrrimnding body tissues. in thearrangement. shown, the chemicals f reactiim and the resulting salts, aswell is any gas generated, may also be forced out of the capsule withbeneficial results.

if the casing of the :apsnle is of gelatin or the like, it willgradually dissolve. if it is of a permanent nature, it may be cl ancdand refilled, and refills could even be farnished for this purpose. Thedevice can be used either with or without the shell 6, and this shell,ins-itcad of being of a substance such. as cocoa butter that is meltedby heat, could be of a soluble nature instead.

Til, advantages of the invention arise outof the fact that a capsulecapable for complete or partial insertion is )IOVltlQtl which is :apableof libe 'ating heat at a substantially constant temperature for adefinite period of time, with or without medi *ation of body tissues,and ei'itirely without the inconvenience attached to ordinary forms ofheated dilators.

I claim:

1. A rapsule of the shape andv size suitable for orilicial insertion inthe body. including a. perforate casing and a. mass of chemicals 'apableof liberating heat on interreaction in the casing.

2. ft capsule for the treatment of body tissues, imzluding a.medican'icnt containing shell having normally inert hiat libe 'atingchemicals therein. said shell being of a substance which br \alcs downwhen the chemicals are active, and a casing through which the medicamentcontaining shell may pass when such shell breaks down.

3. A :apsule for the treatment of body tissues, including a medicamentcontaining heat softened shell having normally inert heat libcratimgchemicals-i therein, said shell being of a. subz-itance which 'meltswhen the chemicals are active, and a perforate casing through which themedicament containing shell may pass as it breaks down.

5 ll. capsule for the treatmentof body tissues, inchu'ling a. medicamentcontaining shell in ving normally inert heat liberating chcmicalstherein, said shell being of a substance which breaks down when thechemicals are active, and a perforate casing through which themei'liaiment containing shell may pass as it lncaks down, said casingbeing of a soluble material.

A mass of material for application to body tissues. having a supply ofmagnesium and a metallic oxide for reaction with the magnesium therein.

6. A miss for the application of hcit to body tissues, including acasing having magnesium and a metallic oxide therein.

7. A. mass for tha appli cation of heat to body tissue", including acasing having magnesium and a metallic oxide therein, said :asing beingperforate.

8. t mass for the appli ration of heat to body tissues, including acasing having magncsinn'i and a metallic oxide therein, said casingbeing perforate, and a. mass of medicating vehicle in the casing withinwhich the magnesium and metallic oxide contained.

9. lifleans for eliciting oriticial treatment, including a perforatecasing, a cocoa butter liningwithin the casing, and normally inertchemicals having an atlinity for each other within the cocoa butterlining.

10. Means for effecting orificial treatment, including a soluble casing,a cocoa butter lining within the casing, and norn'ially inert chemicalshaving an atlinity for each other within the cocoa butter lining.

ll. Means for cilecting orilic'ial treatment, including a soluble andperfo ate raising, a. cocoa butter lining within the casing, andnormally inert chemicals having an ai'linity for each other within thecocoa butter lining.

12. i -leans for etifecting oriticial treatment, including a, perforatecasing, a cocoa butter lining within the casing, and normally inert heatliberating chemicals having an affinity for ach other within the cocoabutter lining, said casing having a removable 321.1).

In tcstin'iony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

J OHN G. HUMAN.

